Prije svega čast mi je što imam priliku da govorim u okviru ovog okruglog stola, koji se bavi ljudima, izazovima, padovima, uspjesima, dostignućima. To je naš život, naša svakodnevica.
Ja sam Katarina Bigovic Kulic, zamjenica direktora Saveza slijepih Crne Gore, ujedno kontakt tačka međunarodnih odnosa. Nakon završenog Fakulteta političkih nauka, te magisterija evropskih ekonomskih integracija, želja je bila da se bavim diplomatijom.
A onda spletom okolnosti kakve samo život može da vam ponudi, čak tri puta sam bila spriječena da dođem na razgovor za posao, i eto me, počela sam da radim u Savezu.
Baviti se politikom invaliditeta je jako izazovno, i to svi u ovoj sali znamo. Većinski ljudi preko puta vas na sastancima ne razumiju o čemu govorite, šta želite. Često morate da ponavljate iste rečenice, da držite do svojih stavova i onda kada su mogima nelogični, neraelni, nemogući. Članovi traže bolje uslove za život, bude vam nekad svega dosta, osjećate se kao Don Kihot. Ali na kraju dana sjednem, sagledam situaciju i kažem: “Hej, Katarina, pa tvoj rad ima smisla. Pogledaj oko sebe, imaš zadovoljne kolege, zadovoljne članove, ljudi oko tebe sa poštovanjem govore o osobama s invaliditetom. Osobe oštećenog vida imaju bolje uslove života, govorimo o inkluziji, živimo je. “
Kao država koja još uvijek nije članica EU, ali je najbliža tom cilju, imamo niz dostignuća. Prva smo država koja je zakonski riješila pitanje pristupačnosti informacija o proizvodima koje se obilježavaju brajevim pismom. E pristupačnost je široko rasprostranjena, pa tako Vlada, Skupština Crne Gore, Univerzitet, Aerodromi, druge institucije, mediji, privatni subjekti imaju pristupačne web sajtove, pristupačna dokumenta, da budemo iskreni, nemaju još uvijek sva dokumenta pristupačna. Razvijeni su servisi za učešće u zajednici, Videći pratilac, te kretanje uz korišćenje bijelog štapa. Učešće osoba oštećenog vida u političkom i javnom životu je unaprijeđeno, te tako osobe oštećenog vida mogu ostvariti biračko pravo samostalno i tajno. Osnovali smo Odbor žena, Odbor mladih, kako bi unaprijedili njihov položaj u okviru Saveza. Sarađujemo sa niz organizacija, kako na lokalnom, nacionalnom, regionalnom, evropskom nivou.
Sve navedeno uglavnom je rezultat zagovaračkih aktivnosti Saveza, a još mnogo toga treba da se radi na povećanju svijesti o pravima OSI.
I sada, nakon skoro deset godina rada u Savezu zaista sam ponosna na sebe, svoj tim ljudi, na porodicu koju imam u Savezu, na sve ono što smo uradili i što nam tek predstoji, kako bi osobe oštećenog vida bile uključene u crnogorsko, evropsko društvo.
Budimo promjena koju želimo da živimo.
First of all, I am honored to have the opportunity to speak at this round table, which deals with people, challenges, failures, successes, achievements. It is our life, our everyday life.
I am Katarina Bigovic Kulic, deputy director of the Union of the Blind of Montenegro, also the contact point for international relations. After graduating from the Faculty of Political Sciences and a master's degree in European economic integration, I wanted to work in diplomacy.
And then, due to a set of circumstances that only life can offer you, I was even prevented from coming to a job interview three times, here I am, I started working at the Union.
Dealing with disability policy is very challenging, and we all know that in this Hall. Most people across you at meetings do not understand what you are talking about, what you want. You often have to repeat the same sentences, to stick to your views even when they are illogical, irrational, impossible for someone. The members are looking for better living conditions, sometimes you get fed up with everything, you feel like Don Quixote. But at the end of the day I sit down, look at the situation and say: “Hey, Katarina, your work makes sense. Look around you, you have satisfied colleagues, satisfied members, people around you speak respectfully about people with disabilities. Visually impaired persons have better living conditions, we talk about inclusion, we live it. ”
As a country that is not yet a member of the EU, but is the closest to that goal, we have a number of achievements. We are the first country that has legally resolved the issue of accessibility of information about products that are marked with Braille. E-access is widespread, so the Government, Parliament of Montenegro, University, Airports, other institutions, media, private entities have accessible websites, accessible documents, to be honest, not all documents are accessible yet. Services for participation in the community, Sight Companion, and movement with the use of a white cane have been developed. The participation of visually impaired people in political and public life has improved, so visually impaired people can exercise their right to vote independently and secretly. We established the Women's Committee, the Youth Committee, in order to improve their position within the Union. We cooperate with a number of organizations, both at the local, national, regional and European level.
All of the above is mainly the result of advocacy activities of the Union and much more needs to be done to increase awareness of the rights of PWDs.
And now, after almost ten years of working in the Union, I am really proud of myself, my team of people, the family I have in the Union, all that we have done and what is yet to come, so that visually impaired people are included in the Montenegrin, European society.
Let’s be the change we want to live.
Govor Katarine Bigović Kulić u PDF formatu možete preuzeti na sljedećem linku – govor KBK u Lisabonu .
